(PC)Ruiz v. Stane

District Court, E.D. California·Decided July 15, 2022·No. 1:22-cv-00236·Unknown

Opinion

ROGELIO MAY RUIZ, Case No. 1:22-cv-00236-DAD-HBK (PC) Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO DENY PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO v. PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS UNDER 28 U.S.C. § 1915 (g) AND/OR DISMISS M. STANE, ET. AL., ACTION WITHOUT PREJUDICE FOR FAILURE TO PROSECUTE Defendants. FOURTEEN-DAY OBJECTION PERIOD ORDER TO ASSIGN A DISTRICT JUDGE (Doc. No. 13) Plaintiff Rogelio May Ruiz, a prisoner incarcerated at California State Prison, Corcoran, initiated this action by filing a pro se prisoner civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on February 22, 2022. (Doc. No. 1, “Complaint”). Plaintiff seeks to proceed in this action in forma pauperis. (Doc. No. 13, IFP). For the reasons discussed below, the undersigned recommends the district court deny Plaintiff’s IFP motion under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g) because Plaintiff has had at least three actions or appeals that constitute strikes, and the Complaint does not establish that Plaintiff meets the imminent danger exception. Alternatively, or in addition to, the undersigned recommends the district court dismiss this action due to Plaintiff’s failure to timely file a first amended complaint in English as directed in the Court’s May 4, 2022 Order. (Doc. No. 17). //// Plaintiff initiated this action by filing a § 1983 complaint in the Sacramento Division of this Court on February 22, 2022. (Doc. No. 1). On February 25, 2022, the case was transferred to this Division. (Doc. No. 4). Because Plaintiff did not accompany his Complaint with the requisite filing fee or an application to proceed in forma pauperis, on February 28, 2022, the Court directed him to do so within 30 days of receipt of the Court’s Order. (Doc. No. 6). The February 28, 2022 Order warned Plaintiff that if he “fails to timely comply with this order, the undersigned will recommend the Court dismiss this case for Plaintiff’s failure to comply with a court order and/or prosecute this action.” (Id.). After Plaintiff failed to timely file an IFP or pay the filing fee, the undersigned issued amended findings and recommendations to the district court on April 14, 2022 recommending dismissal of this action without prejudice due to Plaintiff’s failure to comply with the Court’s February 28, 2022 Order and/or failure to prosecute providing Plaintiff 14 days to file any objections.1 (Doc. Nos. 9, 10). During the objection period, Plaintiff filed an IFP motion. (Doc. Nos. 13, 16). On May 4, 2022, the undersigned recalled the amended findings and recommendations, struck the Complaint to the extent it was in Spanish and directed Plaintiff to file an Amended Complaint in English. (Doc. No. 17). In its May 4, 2022 Order noting that Plaintiff’s Complaint was written entirely in Spanish, the Court noted that Plaintiff had in previous cases been warned that filings in federal court must be in the English language. (Id. at 2). Plaintiff was provided 30 days from receipt of May 4, 2022 Order to file an Amended Complaint in English. (Id.at 2-3). The May 4, 2022 Order further warned Plaintiff that failure to comply with the order would result in the recommendation that this case be dismissed for failure to comply with a court order and/or failure to prosecute the action. (Id. at 4). On May 31, 2022, the Court granted Plaintiff a 30 day extension of time to file an Amended Complaint in English. (Doc. Nos. 19, 20). As of the date on these Findings and Recommendations, despite being provided an enlargement of time, Plaintiff has not filed an Amended Complaint in English and 1 The Amended Findings and Recommendations clarified a 14-day objection deadline, instead of a 30-day objection period, but was otherwise identical to the initial Findings and Recommendations. the time to do so has passed. The “Three Strikes Rule” states: In no event shall a prisoner bring a civil action or proceeding under this section if the prisoner has, on 3 or more prior occasions, while incarcerated or detained in any facility, brought an action or appeal in the United States that was dismissed on grounds that it was frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, unless the prisoner is under imminent danger of serious physical injury. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(g). As part of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, the Three Strikes Rule was enacted to help curb non-meritorious prisoner litigation. See Lomax v. Ortiz-Marquez, 140 S. Ct. 1721, 1723 (2020) (citations omitted)). Under § 1915(g), prisoners who have repeatedly brought unsuccessful suits may be barred from bringing a civil action and paying the fee on a payment plan once they have had on prior occasions three or more cases dismissed as frivolous, malicious, or for failure to state a claim. Id.; see also Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.2d 1047, 1052 (9th Cir. 2007). For a dismissal to count as a strike, the dismissal had to be on a “prior occasion,” meaning the order dismissing the case must have been docketed before plaintiff initiated the current case. See § 1915(g). The reviewing court then looks to the basis of prior dismissals. Knapp v. Hogan, 738 F.3d 1106, 1109 (9th Cir. 2013). A dismissal counts as a strike when the dismissal of the action was for frivolity, maliciousness, or for failure to state a claim, or an appeal was dismissed for the same reasons. Lomax, 140 S. Ct. at 1723 (citing Section 1915(g)); see also Washington v. Los Angeles Cty. Sheriff’s Dep’t, 833 F.3d 1048 (9th Cir. 2016) (reviewing dismissals that count as strikes); Coleman v. Tollefson, 135 S. Ct. 1759, 1761 (2015) (dismissal that is on appeal counts as a strike during the pendency of the appeal). It is immaterial whether the dismissal for failure to state a claim to count was with or without prejudice, as both count as a strike under § 1915(g). Lomax, 140 S. Ct. at 1727. When a district court disposes of an in forma pauperis complaint requiring the full filing fee, then such a complaint is “dismissed” for purposes of §1915(g). Louis Butler O’Neal v. Price, 531 F.3d 1146, 1153 (9th Cir. 2008). Once a prisoner-plaintiff has accumulated three strikes, he/she may not proceed without paying the full filing fee, unless “the complaint makes a plausible allegation” that the prisoner “faced ‘imminent danger of serious physical injury’ at the time of filing” of the complaint. Andrews v. Cervantes, 493 F.3d 1047, 1051-52 (9th Cir. 2007) (addressing imminent danger exception for the first time in the Ninth Circuit). The court must construe the prisoner’s “facial allegations” liberally to determine whether the allegations of physical injury are plausible. Williams v. Paramo, 775 F.3d 1182, 1190 (9th Cir. 2015). In order to avail oneself of this narrow exception, “the PLRA requires a nexus between the alleged imminent danger and the violations of law alleged in the prisoner’s complaint.” Ray v. Lara, No. 19-17093, ___ F. 4th ___, 2022 WL 1073607, at *6 (9th Cir. Apr. 11, 2022) (adopting nexus test). “In deciding whether such a nexus exists, we will consider (1) whether the imminent danger of serious physical injury that a three-strikes litigant alleges is fairly traceable to unlawful conduct asserted in the complaint and (2) whether a favorable judicial outcome would red

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